FAA halves flight cuts to 3% as airlines push for end
Key Points
- 1FAA halves required flight cuts at 40 major US airports from 6% to 3%.
- 2Airlines pushed for the FAA to end the cuts entirely.
- 3FAA is still short of 3,500 air traffic controllers.
- 4United Airlines canceled 134 flights on Friday.
The FAA (US regulator) halved the requirement for U.S. airlines to reduce domestic flights at 40 major airports from 6% to 3%, effective Saturday. This decision follows significant disruptions caused by the government shutdown and mounting pressure from airlines to eliminate the cuts entirely. Airlines argued that the initial 6% reduction was overly restrictive and largely ignored the mandate on Friday, prompting the FAA to reassess the situation. The FAA will monitor system performance throughout the weekend to determine if normal operations can resume.
Cirium, an aviation analytics firm, reported that airlines canceled only 2% of overall flights on Friday, a significant decrease from the 3.5% cancellations observed on Wednesday and Thursday. The improved cancellation rate coincided with air traffic controllers and other FAA employees receiving back pay, covering approximately 70% of their owed wages, excluding overtime. Despite the eased restrictions, the FAA remains approximately 3,500 air traffic controllers short of its targeted staffing levels, a factor contributing to the initial flight reduction mandates.
A group of House Democrats, led by Representative Rick Larsen, requested the administration to provide specific safety data and comparisons to the previous six months, raising concerns about the coordination with key aviation stakeholders. United Airlines reported canceling 134 flights on Friday, representing almost 3% of its total flights, a reduction from the 222 flights canceled on Thursday. The FAA's decision reflects a balancing act between addressing air traffic control safety concerns and accommodating the operational needs of airlines following the disruptions caused by the government shutdown.
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